A&Q about 350Z
Q:
It better sell for a hell of a lot more than just 65k if there are only 1,500 a year being sold, those are early production NSX numbers [which sold for 75k in 05 with 15 year old technology and looks].
I still think it should have been an Infiniti as well. Nissan has many models and a lot of respect for having the Z, I think the GTR should have, and deserves, infiniti floor space.
When you compare the extremely sucessful Lexus to Infiniti, you quickly realize why Lexus is just that, and the infiniti team obviously knows this to as mentioned in the article. Lexus is also bringing an awesome supercar to the lineup, along with Toyota building the Supra. Inifiniti will look very weak in the upcoming sportscar revolution if something isn't done soon.
Good news on the M45 though, it is a very underrated car.
19[TT]91
My TT beauty is gone.
2[00]2 Honda 954RR
Suzuki 1200 S; sportscar eater
19[I4]94 Integra GSR Sedan
Long live the Z...
aka SAHTT
A:
I am not surprised the GTR is going to be a Nissan rather than an Infiniti. Nissan has said all along that the new GTR was going to be a world car not just a Japanese market car or it wouldn't be built. It is a car built to show the world what Nissan is capable of and enhance its image as a worldwide automobile manufacturer.
While I understand why Infiniti dealers want to sell the car and why they don't like the decision it really makes since to keep the GTR a Nissan. Why should the North American market be treated differently than the rest of the World? The car is the flagship for Nissan and it should be the same all over the world, not an Infiniti here and a Nissan there.
Look at it this way. Why is the Corvette a Chevy and the Viper a Dodge? Why aren't they Cadillacs and Chryslers respectively? For the same reasons.
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A:
sounds like a whole lot of politics to me.. Anyway the flagship of Nissan is the 240z,,,Nissan would not be where they are today( in the auto industry)
without that car... As far as the GTR.. who cars what the badging is...... i mean i have heard people on this chat saying they want to remove the Nissan badging fron there "Z".........jeez AS LONG AS THE GTR IS FAST!!!!!!!!!!...right???????
drzee
A:
ZPirate, I'm not sure if you are familiar with the global car market. The U.S. is the entire reason Lexus, Infiniti, and Acura even exist. The poor repuation the original imported japanese cars got made it seem impossible any american would pay a large price for a regular old japanese car, hence the upmarket brands. This is very* old news.
The reasons the corvette is a chevy and dodge has the viper is an entirely different story. The corvette has been a chevy for 50 years now. The viper also has marketing conflicts.
It makes just as much sense from a marketing POV to have it an infiniti.
Nor would it 'hurt' Nissan's reputation for making the skyline an infiniti. There are literally 100's of models of cars that are called under other names in the U.S. from lexus to acura to infiniti.
19[TT]91
My TT beauty is gone.
2[00]2 Honda 954RR
Suzuki 1200 S; sportscar eater
19[I4]94 Integra GSR Sedan
Long live the Z...
aka SAHTT
A:
Who said the Nissan GT-R won't have an Infinity sister at some point, sharing similar components much like todays G35 to the 350Z?
A:
I just don't understand why it couldn't be an Infiniti in North America and Nissan everywhere else. They can't afford an extra 1,500 hood emblems?
Nissan already has a pure sports car. When people think of the G35 they usually think of the sedan.
The chances of them releasing it as a Nissan and Infiniti at the same time have got to be slim to none.
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A:
Zlover57,
I understand what you are saying about the Acura NSX. However, if it had started out as a Honda in the U.S. it would likely have sold just as many units as it did as an Acura. Remember Datsun rather than Nissan when Nissan first came to the states. The NSX was a limited production car too. The major issue with the NSX is that Honda/Acura has failed to keep it on the cutting edge of high performance cars. It has been passed by less expensive cars.
In my opinion Nissan could have sold the GTR either way in the U.S. (Infiniti or Nissan), but they chose for it to be a Nissan because their research indicated based on the type of car the GTR is that is made no difference how it was branded ("every country except the United States wanted the redesigned model to be a Nissan. The U.S. unit could not prove that branding the car an Infiniti would generate more sales or profits"). Only time will tell if this research is correct.
The other difference I see currently is that with the exception of Lexus, Infinitis and Acuras are really not seen as much more upscale than the nice Nissan and Honda vehicles now available. That is due to the perception that Nissan and Honda make pretty damn good cars and that Japanese cars are now mainsteam vehicles in the U.S. just like GM, Ford and Chyrsler vehicles are. Plus a lot of Lexus, Infiniti and Acura vehicles are built on shared platforms with Toyota, Nissan and Honda. When Lexus, Infiniti and Acura were created the Japanese manufacturers were trying to get into a niche that at that time they were not in, the luxuary car market. Also I think today the differences between the philosophies of Japanese and American manufacturers are much more similar than they have ever been. Both have learned from the others strengths and weaknesses and both want to be players in the world market, not just the U.S. market. Hence why so many U.S. manufacturers own all or part of other car companies throughout the world.
03 Daytona Blue MT
Injen CAI
Borla TD Exhaust
Crawford Plenum, Cats, Headers and Strut Bar
Nismo Suspension, LMGT4 wheels, clutch and flywheel and cams
StopTech BBK, 332mm front and 328mm rear
Technosquare ECU Reflash
3.9 FD
Emerald City Z Club
A:
Tough. It's a Nissan. It's always been a Nissan.
I'm just waiting for all the "purists" to come oozing out of their dark corners upon introduction screeching "That's not a REAL GT-R because ..."
It'll happen.
A:
fwiw, i think the GTR outta have been an Infiniti, afterall Nissan has the 350Z, the GTR sounds like it will be faster and more up market than the Z....isn't that the definition of "premium brand"?